BATTENKILL EIVEB. 127 



Upon Eoaring Branch (a tributary of the Battenkill at Arlington), in E. Arlington and Sunderland, 

 there are no distinct terraces, but simply an irregular mass of bowlders and soil east of Arlington line. 

 The rest of its course passes over rocks. 



But at Arlington there is a distinct basin shown, which extends from this village up the Battenkill a 

 considerable distance to the north, and is limited west of the village by a rocky barrier. On the southeast 

 and east sides, at the village, there are four terraces ; the upper one composed of fine materials, the lowest 

 of loam and peat, and the intervening ones of fine and coarse gravel. The meadow extends south a mile, 

 lying immediately east of West, Canfield & Co.'s marble quarry. On the northwest side of the river we 

 also saw four terraces, of which the highest, perhaps, ought to be called a moraine terrace. The elevations 

 are conical and tortuous, and their summits are about 300 feet above the river. 



Passing down the Battenkill, at first the narrow valley between the two mountains that rise above it 

 over a thousand feet on either side, is devoid of terraces. They appear at length in great force at the con- 

 fluence of Greene River with the Battenkill at West Arlington. There are four on each side of Greene 

 River, extending a mile or two north. On the Battenkill there is a very high terrace, No. 4, whose height 

 was measured by the Principal, and its summit was found to be 349 feet above the river at its base. But 

 one higher terrace has been measured in Vermont. 



Several other interesting terraces were found in this basin. Near the west line of the State there is a 

 rocky barrier. Passing into New York, the terraces again display themselves in rich profusion. They are 

 not as high as the one described, but they are numerous, and as distinct as if they had been carefully con- 

 structed by the best engineers. This was in the village of East Salem, N. Y. 



Returning into Vermont and passing up the Battenkill to Dorset through Manchester, we find five 

 exhibitions of terraces and moraine terraces. The valley itself is the most interesting of any in the State. 

 It is long, very deep, with steep sides and high mountains, shutting out all distant views. The Green 

 Mountains are upon the east, and the Taconic range upon the west, both averaging nearly 3000 feet in 

 height. And the whole of this great valley seems to have been eroded by aqueous agencies : most of it long 

 before the existence of the Drift. The alluvial deposits, though on a large scale, are comparatively 

 insignificant. The interest the geologist takes in this region is not confined to the alluvium. 



The general character of the alluvium along the Battenkill in this valley consists in a nearly constant 

 meadow, generally narrow, but occasionally much expanded, a very high terrace (No. 4) upon both sides, 

 which either merges into, or rests upon moraine terraces. At intervals, Nos. 2 and 3 of the terraces 

 intervene. Away from the vicinity of the river the deposits are quite thin, although the rock is not prom- 

 inent. This is a general characteristic of all limestone regions. 



In the northwest corner of Sunderland, at the depot, there is a narrow meadow, with Nos. 1 and 4 upon 

 the west, and only No. 4 upon the east side ; but moraine terraces occur behind both the No. 4 terraces. 

 No. 4 is wanting in a portion of the southern part of Manchester, but near the Cemetery, south of the 

 village of Manchester, the terraces are the same as in Sunderland. At Factory Point the meadow increases 

 in size, and is nearly a mile in its greatest width. It is mostly surrounded by terrace No. 4. The lower 

 terraces show themselves more prominently between Factory Point and East Dorset. Our impression is, 

 also, that the terraces in Dorset are more regular in their proportions than in Manchester. 



In East Dorset there are three distinct terraces on each side of the river. At the summit level near 

 Dorset Pond, which is the source of the Battenkill River and Otter Creek, there are accumulations of mo- 

 niiuc terraces, or perhaps gorge terraces. 



Passing up the west branch of the Battenkill, from Factory Point in Manchester, we find from two to 

 four terraces along its banks, as far as its source, in Dorset. Thus we think we can point to four basins on 

 the Battenkill, in East Salem, N. Y., West Arlington, Arlington, Manchester, and Dorset. There are 

 doubtless other basins between Salem and the Hudson River. 



A branch of the Battenkill arises in Rupert. At Rupert village the first terrace is of considerable extent, 

 and is surrounded by only one terrace, No. 2, which also extends a mile east of Rupert. The same terrace 

 is found upon Black Creek in the northwest part of Rupert, another tributary of the Battenkill. 



